Distributing apparatus for beer



v(No Model.)

E. D. CASE.

DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS FOR BEER.

No. 593,080. Patented Nov. 2,1897.

UNITED STATns ;ATnivT einen.

EDW'ARD D. CASE, OFFLINT, MICHIGAN.

DISTRIBUTING APPARTUS FUR BEER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,080, dated November 2, 1897.

Application iiled December 5, 1896. Serial No. 614,527. (No model.)

Be it known that I, EDWARD D. CASE, of Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Distributing Apparatus for Beer, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates vto devices for dis tributing beer or like material from one or a series of barrels; and the object is to provide a device by means of which the temperature of the beer may be quickly regulated and whereby one or more barrels maybe easily cut oii from the distributing system as desired, and, further, to provide means whereby the pipes comprised in the system may be easily and quickly cleaned by a circulation of water.

I will describe an apparatus embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 shows a partial elevation and partial section of a distributing system embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a detail showing a valve employed.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates an ice-chest designed to be located at a convenient place-for instance, underneath a barand extended downward from this ice-chest l and communicating with its interior is a water-chamber 2. This water-chamber 2 will extend through the door and down into the cooling-room to a point a short distance above the several barrels or kegs. Extended through the ice-chest 1 and through the water-chamber 2 is a series of pipes 3, f1, 5, 6, and `7. The pipes are shown, respectively, as connected with barrels S, 9, 10, 11, and 12. The upper ends of the several pipes are provided with discharge-faucets '13, and below these discharge-faucets the several pipes are connect- V"iranewwith another by transverse pipes 14,

each having a valve 15.

At a point below the water-chamber 2 the several pipes are connected one with another by transverse pipes 16, each having a valve 17, and below the pipes 16 each distributingpipe is provided with a valve 18. Each valve 17 and 1S has a cord or wire 19 extended from the crank-arm on its spindle upward to a point underneath the bar. The upper ends of said cords or wires are connected to suitable turning devices 20, mounted on a keyboard 21.' The several cords or wires 19 are guided over rollers 22 and 23.

Leading into one or" the end pipes (here shown as the pipe 7) is a water-distributing pipe 24, controlled by a valve 25, and leading from the lower end of the water holder or chamber 2 is a discharge-pipe 26. This discharge-pipe 26 extends nearly to the upper end of said water-chamber 2 and is provided with a croolrneck 27, having a valve 2S for controlling its outlet. The lower end ot the pipe 26 may be provided with a drip-controlling valve 29.

The several valves 17 and 18 are provided with devices for moving them to a closed position upon releasing the several cords or wires 19. As here shown, this closing device consists of a spring 30, secured at one end to the valve-stem and at the other end to the casing of the valve, as plainly shown in Fig. 2.

In operation should it be desired to draw beer or similar material from the several barrels the several valves 15, 17, and 1S must be closed. Therefore each barrel will have a single or independent discharging-tube, and in this event the beer as it runs through a coinparatively short length of pipe will be of coniparatively high temperature; but should it be desired to run the beer from a single barrel through two cr more or all of the several pipes in order to reduce its temperature certain of the valves must be closed. I have here shown the apparatus as arranged for drawing beer from the barrel S. In this event the valves 18 of the pipes 4t, 5, 6, and fwill be in a closed position and the valve 18 of the pipe 3 in its open position. The valve 17 between the pipes 3 and 4 will be closed, the valve 17 between the pipes e and 5 will be open, the valve between the pipes 5 and (S will be closed, and the valve between the pipes G and 7 will be open, and at the upper end the valves between the pipes 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 will be open, and the valves 15 between the pipes 4c and 5 and 6 and 7 will be closed. Therefore it will be seen that the beer from the barrel 8 will pass up through the pipe 3, through the pipe 14 to the pipe 4, thence down said pipe 4 through the pipe 16I to the pipe 5, thence through the pipe 14 to the pipe 6, down said pipe through the connection between the pipes 6 and 7, and up through the said pipe 7 where it may be discharged through the faucet 13 of said pipe 7 At the same time all of the faucets may be in use.

It may be here stated that should it bedesired to clean the several pipes'by water from the pipe 24 the several valves will be in the condition just described, excepting that the valve 18 for the pipe 3 must be closed-that is, the water entering under pressure from" the pipe 24 will iiow through the several pipes and. discharge through the faucet of the pipe 3, or all of the faucets may be left open.

The pipe 26 is designed to maintain a com.- paratively even temperaturel for the water in the container or chambe-r'2-that is, the water at the lower end of this container or chamber as it rises in temperature will rise up through the pipe 6 and discharge through its outlet, the valve 28` o-f course being at all times open.

the beer of one or more barrels can be mixed with that of another barrelthat is, it may at timesbecome necessary, for instance,\vhen a barrel from which beer has been drawn to a considerable extent to mix with said beer the fresh beer of another barrel, thus givingk life to comparatively stale beer in the barrel from which the beer was drawn. I have here shown seven distributing-pipes, but it is obvious that a greater orv less number may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to securel by'Letters Patent- 1. A distributing apparatus for beer or the like, comprising an ice-chest, a water-container extended downward therefrom, a series of pipesextended through said ice-chest, a.

water-cooler,valve-controlled connections between the several pipes above the ice-chest, valve-controlled connections between the-several pipes at their lower portions, a valve in ter holder or chamber and. extended upward to near itsy top where it is provided with an outlet, a. series of pipesextended through the ice-chest and also through the water holder or container and adapted for connection at their lower ends with barrels, each. of said y ing cords or wires extended upward to a point adjacent to the ice-chest, anda valve-controlled water-pipe leading into one of the distributing-pipes, substantially as specified.

3. A distributing apparatus for beer and the like, .comprising a series of pipes, a refrigerating means through which such pipes extend, connections between said pipes above the refrigeratingmeans, connections between the pipes below said refrigerating means disgpensing devices means for connection with the: barrels or other sourc'e of supply and in- 1 dependent valves controlling the connections between the pipes whereby the pipes may be made independent and may be connected for circulation, substantially as described.

It is obvious with this improved system that 4. In a distributing apparatus, the combination with a. chamber or cooler, of a plurality ofy pipes extending through the same,

f valve-controlled connections between the said vpipes on opposite sides of said chamber or cooler, whereby the liquid may be caused to lcirculate back and forth through the said chamber or cooler, individual connections for each of such pipes with the sources of supply and individual dispensing devices for such pipes, substantially asv described.

5. A distributing apparatusforbeer or the like, comprising a cooler, aseries of pipes extending through said cooler, pipel connections between said pipes above the cooler, pipe connections between the pipes below the cooler, a keyboard connections between the same and the said lower connections and independent valves controlling the pipe connections wherebythe pipes may be made independent and may be connected for circulation, supply and dispensing connections, substantially as described.

6. A liquid-distributing apparatus, comprisinga series of dispensing-pipes adapted for connection, each with a separate supply Vessel, a plurality of cross connections between the pipes, and independent valves controlli-ng the cross connections between the pipes whereby liquid. may be drawn from either one or several of the supply vessels through either of the pipes, or :may be caused to circulate back and forthbetween the cross connections, substantially as specified.

EDWVARD D. CASE.

Witnesses:

FRANK SMITH, A.. J. BUoKnAi/r.

IOO 

